An FPV drone works with two radio links at once: your controller sends stick commands to a receiver on the drone, and a camera and video transmitter on the drone stream live video to goggles on your head. In between, a flight controller reads a gyro hundreds of times a second and tells the electronic speed controllers (ESCs) how fast to spin each motor, which is how the drone tilts, turns, climbs and flips. Custom FPV quads assemble these parts separately; DJI's Avata 2 integrates them and adds GPS, sensors and assisted modes.
The parts
| Part | Job |
|---|---|
| Frame | Carbon fiber arms and body; size is named by prop size (3-inch, 5-inch) |
| Motors | Brushless motors; four on a quadcopter |
| ESC | Electronic speed controller: turns flight controller signals into motor power |
| Flight controller (FC) | Small computer with a gyro, usually running Betaflight firmware |
| Receiver | Picks up your radio's commands (ExpressLRS is common) |
| Camera + VTX | The video transmitter sends the camera feed to your goggles |
| Battery | LiPo packs, often 4S or 6S on 5-inch quads |
| Goggles | Screens in front of your eyes showing the feed and OSD |
A stack is the FC and ESC boards mounted together. Definitions for all the jargon are in FPV terms explained.
How they're controlled
A standard FPV radio has two sticks:
- Throttle (left stick up and down): overall motor power, so climb or descend.
- Yaw (left stick sideways): rotate left or right.
- Pitch (right stick up and down): tilt forward or back.
- Roll (right stick sideways): tilt left or right.
Unlike a camera drone, throttle doesn't spring back to center; you hold it. See drone yaw, pitch and roll and how to hold an FPV controller.
Flight modes
The flight controller's mode decides what the sticks mean. In angle mode the drone self-levels; in acro (rate) mode the sticks set rotation speed and nothing levels the drone for you, which is what freestyle pilots use. Read FPV flight modes.
Analog vs digital video
Older analog systems have very low latency but fuzzy pictures. Digital systems like DJI O4 send a sharp 1080p feed with latency as low as about 15 to 24 ms, depending on the setup. See DJI O4 video transmission and FPV analog vs digital.
How DJI's Avata 2 does it differently
The Avata 2 combines the video and control links in one O4 system, adds GPS and downward and rear sensing, and offers three modes:
- Normal: hovers in place and flies steadily.
- Sport: faster and more responsive.
- Manual: classic FPV control with no stabilization or auto-brake. DJI disables it by default; with the FPV Remote Controller 3 you enable it in the goggles and adjust the throttle stick so it doesn't recenter.
With the RC Motion 3 you steer by pointing the controller and press the mode button to switch between Normal and Sport. It doesn't do Manual mode.
"FPV mode" on regular DJI drones
Mini and Air drones have a gimbal setting called FPV mode. DJI says the gimbal rolls with the aircraft when it flies forward, giving a first-person feel. It's a camera setting, not a separate drone type.
To build your own, start with build an FPV drone and the O4 Air Unit. To start flying sooner, see what is an FPV drone.
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